


Headlights

by ZoeBug



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Road Trip, Fluff, Multi, OT3 Week, Polyamory, Road Trips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-08
Updated: 2015-07-08
Packaged: 2018-04-08 07:03:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4295193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZoeBug/pseuds/ZoeBug
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"So we made it to Kansas, huh?" Eren asks, gazing out the window at the bright spots of headlights bobbing on the highway in the distance. "Nearly there."</p><p> <br/>Armin, Mikasa, and Eren take a roadtrip to see the Pacific Ocean.</p><p>--</p><p>Written for OT3 Week Day 2: Eren/Mikasa/Armin - Journey</p>
            </blockquote>





	Headlights

**Author's Note:**

> Written for OT3 Week Day 2: Eren/Mikasa/Armin - Journey
> 
> People kept telling me my drabbles and one-shots were always sad and people kept dying so I managed to make them happy in this one. hRK. Enjoy the Shinganshina Trio fluff!!

"Is he still asleep?"

Armin swivels against his seatbelt, craning his neck to gaze into the backseat. Indeed, Eren is still sleeping soundly, his long legs kicked up against the back windows. Smiling fondly, Armin turns back to face forward, glancing over at Mikasa in the driver's seat.

She’s staring steadfast out the windshield.

The highway extends beyond the reach of their headlights, a shadowy stretch into the horizon. Across the way, other pairs of headlights going the opposite way zip by like little phantom lights in the misty darkness. Despite it being July, the heat is turned up. It's a good chunk past midnight and Mikasa has always been sensitive to the chill.

It's dark and cozy in their little car, even with the steady rumble and occasional squeaks that come. It smells like coffee and fast food and the three of them. Old granola bar wrappers and tourist attraction pamphlets crunch beneath Armin's boots when he shifts.

"Yep." Armin confirms. "And I give it another half an hour before the snoring starts up."

The radio is a low background buzz beneath Mikasa's answering quiet laugh.

"He drove for eleven hours today. He deserves the sleep, snoring or not." She says softly and Armin can hear the smile in her voice. He reaches a hand over to gently place it on her knee.

"We can stop at a motel if you're tired, Mikasa."

She shakes her head, readjusting her grip on the wheel.

"I'm fine. We wanted to make it over to Kansas before stopping anyway."

Armin frowns. He reaches to pick up and shake the styrofoam cup of gas station coffee they'd snagged a good while back. The dregs slosh hollowly in the bottom and he eyes her skeptically.

"How about this, we stop at a diner once we cross the state line and get some food. Some coffee for you at least?"

She sighs, flicking her eyes to his and then back to the road in order to shoot him a grateful look.

"That sounds wonderful. Thank you, Armin."

"Of course." Armin leans over and kisses her lightly on the cheek. His lips, pressed to Mikasa's cheek stretch into a smile and he huffs a small laugh against her skin when he hears the first soft snore from the backseat. "How long til Kansas?" He asks tiredly, pulling back.

Mikasa just laughs.

 

 

"Eren. _Eren._ Wake up, sleepy head, we're stopping for food."

It's the word "food" that seems to finally rouse Eren and his eyes blink open to peer blearily up at Armin. He's standing over Eren, leaning in from the side door nearest Eren's head.

"What time is it?"

"About 3:30." Armin replies, his hand still stroking through Eren's disheveled hair. Eren lifts himself up on one elbow and peers around out the windows at the darkened parking lot of the diner, eyes squinting against the neon lights.

"AM?" He croaks. Armin laughs.

"Yes, love."

He hears Mikasa shuffling around in the trunk to find a hoodie. It is slightly chilly this early in the morning.

Eren groans but pushes himself into a sitting position and finally climbs out of the car. He stretches like a cat; yawning with his tongue sticking out of his mouth, spine arching, and his eyes drift back closed at the end of his grandiose yawn.

Then, as always with a very sleepy Eren, he scoots behind Armin, drapes his arms over his shoulders and rests his chin on Armin's head.

Armin just chuckles and reaches his hands up, crossing his arms across his chest so he can comfortably grab each of Eren's hands and hold them.

Eren hums happily. Mikasa slams the trunk and before returning to find Eren still dozing on Armin's head.

"Welcome back to the land of the living." She leans up on her tiptoes to greet Eren with a soft kiss over Armin's head. "Sort of."

"Morning to you too." He replies without opening his eyes.

"C'mon, Eren, let's go get you some food, yeah?"

"Mmmm food." He replies, eyes still closed. Mikasa crosses her arms but smiles.

"Eren, you have to open your eyes at some point."

"Nope." He pops the p on his lips with a dopey grin, eyes resolutely shut.

"How are you going to walk without running into things?" Armin asks, stroking his thumb along Eren's knuckles.

"You'll be my Seeing Eye Armin." He mumbles sleepily. Armin rolls his eyes. "Or Mikasa could carry me. Piggyback?"

"Or you could wake up long enough to get some pancakes or a cheesburger in you." Mikasa suggests softly, reaching up her hand to smooth some bangs away from Eren's face. "Then you can go right back to sleep."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Eren's eyes take three tries to stay open but finally he manages to keep them from drifting shut again.

"Have I mentioned I love you guys?"

 

 

They're lead to a booth near one of the windows and Mikasa leans into Armin, still a bit chilly despite the hoodie she has zipped up to her throat. Armin scrapes his hair back into a ponytail while he orders Mikasa and himself coffee and Eren a hot chocolate.

"So we made it to Kansas, huh?" Eren asks, gazing out the window at the bright spots of headlights bobbing on the highway in the distance. "Nearly there."

"I don't know about you, but I'm excited."

Mikasa hums in agreement before pulling out her phone.

"I'm gonna see what else is around here that we might want to detour for tomorrow."

"Did we pass the world's largest ball of yarn, yet?" Eren asks as he starts making a tower out of the individual coffee creamers.

"What is it with us Americans and "World's Largest?"" Armin asks, amused. The waitress comes by, plunking down their drinks. They order and she floats away to another table.

"Hey!" Eren exclaims when Armin plucks a tiny plastic cup from the middle of Eren's tower and it comes toppling down, creamers rolling off around the table.

"Oh, did I ruin your chance at the world's largest tower of individual creamers?" Eren scowls but Armin grins. Eyes narrowing, Eren puts on a comically begrudging expression.

"You're lucky you're cute, Arlert."

"Well, I certainly think so. Considering I got you both."

Beside him, her eyes still scanning across her phone screen, Mikasa's lips twitch up into the hint of a smile.

"I'm happy we got you." She says softly.

"You guys are so sweet together you're not even gonna need sugar for your coffee." Eren jokes.

"We all love each other and it's adorable," Armin says a bit dismissively, although a blush is beginning to tinge his cheekbones, "but I'm interested in what's on the agenda for tomorrow."

"Well," Mikasa starts, scrolling on her phone again, "we can stop at Mt. Rushmore if you guys want." Eren scowls. “Or the world’s largest ball of twine.” She offers, seeing Eren’s expression.

“I vote that.” He states, taking a large slurp of hot chocolate. Mikasa kisses his cheek.

“I’m so excited to see the ocean.” Armin murmurs absently. His chin is in his hand, staring out the window, stirring his coffee absentmindedly.

Eren and Mikasa glance at each other, grin, then kiss whatever part of Armin they can reach.

 

 

Four days later at 5:07 AM they're sitting side by side, the three of them precariously perched on the hood of their rickety old car. Armin has his head on Eren’s shoulder and Mikasa has her hands in either of theirs and they watch the dark waves of the Pacific Ocean crash in and pull back out off the shore.

Behind their tangle of legs the headlights of their car, turned to the lowest setting, set the ocean spray glittering beautifully above the water. The soft glow fans out in an illuminating arc before them as they sit, reaching across the beach towards the waves. They watch them silently for a stretching minutes, just the crash of waves and the near silent sound of their breathing, easy and slow and in time with one another.

“I love you guys.” Eren says softly, kissing the top of Armin’s head as he nods and Mikasa squeezes their hands.

They watch the sun come up over the distant horizon without speaking another word.

**Author's Note:**

> [fanfic/podfic blog](http://zoe-bug.tumblr.com/) | [personal](http://xiexiecaptain.tumblr.com/) | [twitter](https://twitter.com/xiexiecaptain)


End file.
